Monster
by swantonbombshell
Summary: What was storyline began to become more, and Roman and Layne couldn't deny it. Their real lives needed adjusting to make it work, and it all hung in the balance. After a 'medical leave' storyline where Braun Strowman hurt Layne so that she could get a handle on her real life, she's now returned. This will be featured in chapters as an ongoing story!
1. Chapter 1

The huge black SUV slid into the parking garage, and Seth Rollins and Seam Ambrose remained outside, talking with a jobber who was having a smoke. Dean paused when a familiar petite figure appeared. "Oh shit." Seth mumbled. The jobber turned to see the dark haired beauty lift a hand with a smile at the group of them. "Hey Layne!" Seth called, as she continued up the ramp into the facility. She was in a pair of blue jeans that fit just right, flared over the sneakers she wore. A Roman Empire shirt over her chest, and her sunglasses on top of her head. The jobber trotted into another direction and the two men looked at each other. Despite their differences lately, this was BIG. Big in the form of highly entertaining, actually. Off they bolted to go sit by the announcers table, so they could have front row seats.

Already. Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman were arguing in the center of the ring over a chance at a title, when the general manager himself, Kurt Angle, made his way down the ramp, and went around the far side of the ring to get in. The chants of 'You Suck!' finally calmed, and the three started talking, when suddenly the arena went pitch black. Everyone waited... who was it? So many entrances begin like that. But it wasn't The Eater of Worlds. Out of the blackness came a sharp drum beat that signalled an entrance song that hadn't been heard in a long, long time. Parts of In This Moment's 'Big Bad Wolf' began to play and the lights came back up as her entry played across the visual screens. Both Strowman and Reigns turned to look in surprise - mostly for different reasons. The roar around them was loud as the crowd got to it's feet as Layne made her way down the ramp. Kurt Angle was grinning as she took the steps and slid between two of the ropes. Strowman was watching her and saying something to her, and Reign's looked like he got hit in the face with a chair, his eyes moving to her Roman Empire shirt, before he grinned. Layne stepped closer, and took his mic out of his hand, and turned to Braun. "What, you didn't think I'd be back? Well guess what? " She tilted her head during her pause. "I am." She finished, to the roar of the crowd. Her gaze turned onto Kurt. "And I want revenge." ... the words so concise that even Michael Cole winced at the announcer's table.

When Layne came to Raw, she'd been engaged to someone that just wasn't a pro-wrestling fan. She kept putting their wedding off. The date was being extended over and over. It wasn't hard to tell why. At least for those within the wrestling community, and the fans. The storyline that had been developing between Layne and Roman Reigns, wasn't just a story, it had become very real. So it wasn't a surprise when the story twisted and Braun Strowman used her to hurt Roman. He'd thrown her off the stage, and through a table below. It had set the stage for her to take 'medical leave'. Which was another way for her to stop a scandal, like an affair. She wanted to go clean up her real life. How it would fall, would be how it fell. She would either finally get married or end her engagement. The last time Roman had seen her, was when he'd been at her side as they loaded her into the ambulance.

Kurt nodded. "I understand that, Layne, but..." He gestured at Braun. "Then I want to choose my champion." She knew they wouldn't let her take on Braun. Seth and Dean almost knocked their chairs over as they ran down to join the others in the ring. Both of them willing to be 'her champion', for reasons no more than being her friend. Roman watched the growing crowd in the ring and waited to see what her choice would be. Kurt nodded, then gestured around them to the three men that it could possibly be. Dean looked at Roman, who looked at Seth. Layne turned, and settled her gaze on Roman. He seemed about to say something when her gaze shifted to Dean and then Seth. "Give me something that every person in this arena wants to see." It took those words for the crowd to burst into cheers and screams. " Reunite to exact my vengeance on the man that attacked me." The crowd was insane at that point. Everyone waiting for the replies... and one by one, fists got held into the space between the guys, until all three were there. Kurt looked pleased. "But this would be a handicap match..." He pointed out. Layne turned to him. "And it wasn't a handicap when he turned on me and attacked me for his own benefit? Did I stand a chance? No." She turned to Braun Strowman again. "And neither should you." Finally, Kurt agreed to letting the hounds of justice go after Strowman. The announcers continued their commentary, Braun stormed off, and Kurt left. The hounds of justice left to look at each other, then watch as Layne got out of the ring. " So. Uhm. You realize when she finds out about Alexa Bliss, you're going to lose her." Deam murmured to Roman as he leaned closer. " She might be married too, for all we know and it won't even matter, Ambrose." Roman replied, before leaving the emptying ring. Ambrose and Rollins followed him out, so the next match could begin and they could go get ready.

Layne finished up chatting with some other wrestlers that came over to speak to her. When she turned, there was Roman. She sucked in her breath and tilted her head back to look at him. The look on his face twisting her gut up. He had no idea where things stood, so seeing her like that - just suddenly back without a word in months, was obviously eating at him. Since his abrupt divorce, he'd been putting pieces of his life back together, and he'd wanted her to be part of it. He looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. Finally, Layne took a breath and stepped closer to him, her hand lifting so that her fingers could trace the roman empire design at the front of his vest. "I called it off." She said, quietly. His head dipped and he stared at her hand moving over the design. "What?" It was like he was hearing underwater. Layne swallowed hard, and looked up at him. "The engagement, it's off. It's over. I ended it all." He stared at her, his hand coming over her own, stilling it. "You... left him?" He asked. She nodded. The word 'shit' repeatedly bounced around his head. "What does this mean?" He asked. "C'mon Reigns, let's talk this out!" Dean yelled down the hall. Seth punched him in the arm. "They were fucking talking, man." He pointed as Layne and Roman looked down the hall at them. Dean shrugged and disappeared behind the door of the men's locker room. Layne stepped back, pulling her hands from Roman's. "Later, we'll talk, I promise." He stared at her as she continued down the hall and disappeared into the women's locker room, before he went to join Dean and Seth.


	2. Chapter 2

There was no way that Layne wasn't going to be ringside for the match. In fact, she came out with the guys. Roman glanced at her several times to try and gauge what was actually going to happen in their conversation later, but to no avail. Instead he just continued with his entrance, stopping only at the apron to point at the floor, and her. She knew he was telling her not to get involved and let them handle it. She stared at him, almost defiantly, and then nodded. Seth and Dean gave her the thumbs up and continued into the ring.

Layne had changed out of her jeans, and into a pair of black leather booty shorts with laces on the side. Her boots went to her knees, and instead of changing out of her Roman Empire shirt, she had tied it snugly at her navel. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She perched on the ring ledge, her hands on the top rope as the guys had a quick pow-wow. Roman stepped back and pointed back down to the floor. She wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm fine." She replied. He snorted at her and then turned back to the match at hand.

It wasn't hard to tell how that match was going to go. Three on one is a pretty heavy handicap, after all. Braun got the beating he deserved, but he did manage to pound on the guys quite a bit. At the end, Layne got onto the top rope, and just as Roman turned around, she delivered a coup de grace to Braun, a homage to Finn Balor, who had helped train her. Dean pushed her to Roman when she got up and made the pin. Landing fully into the Samoan, she looked up to see a none too happy look on his face. "I told you to stay out there, on the floor." He murmured, guiding her towards the ring apron again. "I've never been very good at listening to you." She replied, with a grin. Of course, the guys were called the winners, and the match was done, but this wasn't going to be the end of things. The crowd had the taste of getting The Shield back, and now they wanted it back for more than one time. Besides, Braun and Roman's feud was hardly over.

Layne changed back into her jeans, and was leaning against the wall outside the parking area. Roman paused, watching her, and adjusted the black duffel bag around his shoulder and side. Finally, he approached her. "So... about that talk." He said, quietly. She glanced up at him. "Yeah, it's that time, isn't it?" She replied. He nodded at her. "I brought an Uber, so, how about your truck?" He gestured at it parked along the way. Layne dug out her keys and handed them to him. Once inside, and he was backing them out, she glanced over to see Alexa Bliss watching them from the loading dock - she didn't look too happy. "What's that all about?" She asked. Roman paused, glancing over, and then shrugged. "No idea, babe." He replied, simply. Then, they were gone from the arena.

The hotel room was nice... and it had been the first time they'd share one. Even before, Layne had never spilled into physical cheating, at least not sexually. Had they kissed, yes. Beyond that? No. Not while she was engaged to James. Now that it was over, well, that would be another story. Maybe. Roman tossed his bag at the foot of the king sized bed and settled on the end of it with a sigh, running a large hand through his still damp hair. Layne pulled the chair from the desk and sat across from him. "Before you start... I need you to know something." He began. Layne frowned a little and tilted her head. "Yeah, sure. Go for it." She replied. Roman took a deep breath. "I didn't know that you were ever coming back, or if when you did, you would have married him." He paused, watching her. "So, I started seeing Alexa." Layne's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, you really did have an idea why she didn't look so happy with us at the arena." She said. He hesitated, and then nodded at her. "Yeah, but I didn't know how to explain it right then and there." - Layne took a breath and closed her eyes. "When you say seeing... Roman..." She trailed off. His steely gaze went to the floor, and Layne nodded. "Right then. " She stood, and grabbed her jacket. "Layne... don't." Roman stood, reaching for her arm. She pulled it away. "I thought that you might have faith in me, a little patience. For fucks sake, Roman, I wasn't gone that long. But it was still too long for you, wasn't it?" She demanded. He looked crestfallen. "That wasn't it at all. I just figured you chose to get married, and didn't owe me any excuse or explanation, Layne. " He tried to explain. Layne just didn't want to hear it, not then. "No... you just couldn't be patient and believe me when I told you I loved you." She shot back, before she disappeared out the door.


	3. Chapter 3 : Dear Agony

**~Roman~**

He was left alone in the hotel room staring at the now closed door. She'd actually walked out. He settled on the end of the bed and stared at the floor before lifting his hands and rubbing them over his face with a heavy sigh. That is really not how he thought telling her about he and Alexa would go down. He flopped backwards on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Layne had crept up on him. He thought the storyline would just run it's course and that was it. Then he had it bad for the petite dark haired woman. It hit him like a ton of bricks. It was obvious that they had something, even with her engaged to someone else. He respected her decision to not be a cheater, at least physically - because there was definite emotional cheating going on. Then, she chose to take a temporary exit to clean up her real life. He'd watched for a short bit from backstage, as Braun took out his rage on her, and then ran out. By the time he'd gotten there, as per the script, she'd been 'out'. He'd gotten Braun to retreat and remained by her side as they loaded her onto the gurney to remove her for her medical leave. His hand in her own, as he leaned down to her, she'd told him she loved him. It was the last words spoken for months. Then she comes back, and he's pretty much assumed that she chose to get married. To the point he dreaded looking at Insider reports and wedding announcements. He dreaded the day she'd return with a wedding ring on her finger. So he started seeing Alexa to ease his loneliness. Months later, there Layne is again. No ring on her finger, and telling him she called it off.

Roman pushed off the bed, and moved to the mini-bar, his large hand capturing most of the bottles in it. Within minutes, he'd downed a couple of them, and they littered the floor around him when he settled with his back against the bed. There's a pounding on the door that causes him to look at it. "C'mon Uce, let me in." Dean's voice made it through the door. Roman shoved his hand through his hair. He didn't get up, he didn't reply. "Uce. Man. I get it. But let me in, brother, don't shut me out." Dean called. Roman lifted another of those little bottles and swallowed it down. "It's unlocked." He said, his tone enough to push his voice to Dean's ears, and the door handle turned and Dean peeked in. He sighed the moment he saw his best friend. "Oh, Uce. What the fuck, man." He closed the door behind him and locked it. No need to be interrupted. Moving across the room, his booted foot kicked bottles out of his way. Settling on the end of the bed at Roman's side, he took a deep breath. "Seth stopped her from getting in her truck." He said, quietly. It was how they'd known something was wrong. After all this time, those two should have never been leaving this hotel room, but when Layne had been seen crossing the lobby angrily, Seth had ran to intercept, and Dean had come up here to talk to his bestie.

Roman nodded, and then uncapped another little bottle. "Uce, you're gonna clear out the mini-bar. Stop." Dean smacked the bottle out of his hand and the whiskey splattered the carpet, and then spilled out of the bottle when it landed. Roman glared at him, lips twisting wryly. "You told her about Alexa. She walked out. This can be fixed." Dean said. Roman shook his head. "You didn't hear her voice, man. I've never ever heard her that disappointed in me. And that says a lot, given the shit I've done." He replied. Dean grunted and then flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Bro. That woman would forgive you for destroying the universe. It might hurt right now, but Layne isn't stupid. She will come around, she just needed time to lash out. Get it off her chest. In the end, she's going to realize she asked a lot of you without giving anything back in all these months. Not even a word... Shit happens. Mistakes made. What really counts is what you two feel, and nothing fucking else." Dean said. He's a bit surprised at his own wisdom. He hasn't even been drinking. And it sucks doing these talks sober. He lifted his head to find his best friend staring at him, with an expression that said he was thinking the same damn thing. "When did you get so prolific?" Roman grumbled. Dean shrugged. " It happens now and again. Don't tell Seth. He'll expect it more." Roman shook his head and then smiled. "You're probably right." He said. "Hell yes, I'm right. I'm always right." Dean replied. Roman punched him in the leg, Dean groaned, and rolled off the bed. " I should charge you for my wisdom now."


End file.
